With this module, learners will have a better understanding of what assistive devices are and how they can be used to impact and benefit the lives of people with disabilities.

Overall, what are assistive technologies?

Assistive technologies are technologies that cover systems and services related to the provision of assistive products and services. They are of a different nature and can help either in the person's environment via home automation, or directly on the person via technological systems to ensure better hearing, easier movement, etc.

Technical aids make it possible to maintain or improve people's mobility and autonomy, thus contributing to their well-being and facilitating their living environment.

These technologies can be appropriated quite easily by carers accompanying people in difficulty and in this way offer new possibilities in the context of housing and inclusive sharing of housing.

Assistive technologies can help elderly and disabled people in their daily lives to better understand space, to move around, to catch objects, to avoid traps in the home, to gain movement by acting directly on household utensils using a remote control system.

The possibilities are becoming numerous and must be both integrated into the new homes and easy to use.

We will mention the main families that are very useful for carers and, in a way, fun for disabled and/or elderly people.

1.         The interactive tablet: today there are interactive tablets for the elderly that are fairly simple to use and bring real advantages to the daily life of the elderly. Although still expensive, the tablet is the "Swiss Army knife" of tele-assistance for people with limited autonomy. It offers

- The possibility of communicating with relatives either in writing or using camera systems;

- The possibility of integrating the medical file of the person being assisted and of having medical personnel better able to organise themselves,

- The possibility of integrating the medical file of the person being cared for and of coordinating the medical personnel who are better able to organise themselves, - The possibility of having a remote monitoring system that allows the emergency teams to intervene rapidly. This remote assistance system can become a fun option for the people being helped, while at the same time providing security and facilitating daily life.

2.         The mini smart phone.

This inexpensive option is very interesting because it allows several services to be set up to support the daily life of the person:

For example, the person can be directly connected to :

o To the emergency services for any problem occurring at home,

o A 24/7 listening centre (a kind of toll-free number);

o To services involved in social life: booking train tickets or taxis.

This device can also have a GPS that allows the family to locate the person, and an alarm when the person leaves a defined area. This alarm system can be an option to reassure people when they are alone and/or sometimes far from the family.

The system can use programmable buttons to contact relatives in advance.

1.         Home automation systems are growing and becoming more and more popular. Not only to secure homes, but to help people programme actions, limit movement for people with walking difficulties and ensure comfort in the daily life of dependent people.

Centralized controls allow today to have fun while being efficient for daily life. They are real dashboards, rather like the equipment in vehicles. The person being assisted can :

- Open and close shutters, doors, windows, etc. remotely;

- Be warned of a water or gas leak;

- Turn on paths or areas that require it, etc.

The home will be controlled entirely from a computer, a tablet or an application on a mobile phone, even if you are outside.

More futuristically, the "life helper" robot is capable of interacting with a home automation system.

It will be able to :

- Detect possible dangers;

- Alert relatives in case of a fall;

- Order groceries from a dedicated platform that will deliver directly to the home;

- Organise a videoconference with doctors;

- Remind the person of a certain number of operations to be carried out when the carer is not present; keep hydrated, take their medication, etc.

Liens source : https://www.who.int/fr/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/assistive-technology

https://aide-a-domicile.ooreka.fr/astuce/voir/112962/les-nouvelles-technologies-au-service-des-personnes-agees